| Description | Scale Dimensions | Reliability | Sources/Bibliography | Cost/Copyright/Availability |
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Tribes Assessment Questionnaire
(1996)

CenterSource Systems, CenterSource Systems, LLC
7975 Cameron Drive, Bldg 500, Windsor, CA 95492-8567. 

Phone: 707-838-1061
Fax: 707-838-1062

Developed out of “Partnership in Character Education Pilot Projects” awarded to Departments of Education of 10 states.  Also known as “caring community process” or “Tribes Learning Community.” (Gibbs, 1998).

Survey completed by students and teachers, administrators, staff, and parents. 

Used extensively in elementary schools, but also adapted for one middle school in California.

Survey item has two parts:  item stem and response scale: 0=never, 1=sometimes, 2=often, 3=most of the time, 4=all the time
 

School Climate Scale Dimensions 
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CHARACTER VALUES TRIBES PROCESS COMPONENTS
CARING and COMPASSION
- Listen with heart as well as head.
- Express appreciation/no put-downs
- Mutual respect (for others, school & environment)
- Right to pass within a peer group
RESPONSIBILITY
- Students maintain membership in small groups (tribes) to support learning and positive social behavior.
- Teachers use cooperative learning methods for academics, transfer responsibility to students to help each other.
- All members are responsible to each other and for group accountability.
JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS
- Time is taken to reflect on tribe member’s work, special qualities, and skills after every group task.
- Equal participation, fairness, open and honest communication is acknowledged.
- Group issues and conflict are mediated within peer group
- Teacher observations, instruction &  modeling support the cooperation with the tribes.
TRUSTWORTHINESS
- Peer support, respect and appreciation built with the tribes and classroom enables students and teachers to know each other well and count upon the affirmed individual virtues repeatedly cited throughout every day.
HONESTY
- Repeated use of reflection and feedback (processing) by peers develops a high level of candor and honesty.  Sense of belonging (inclusion) facilitates speaking the truth.
DOING ONE’S PERSONAL BEST
- setting goals, completing tasks on time, respecting others, living responsibly, and loving learning becomes the norm.
- Hundreds of cooperative learning studies have proven that students work more diligently on tasks and excel academically when in caring groups than individually.
SOCIAL SKILLS
- teaches and gives daily practice to  important individual and team building skills:
to participate fully, listen attentively, express appreciation, reflect on learning experiences, value diversity of cultures/ideas, think constructively, make responsible decisions, resolve conflict, solve problems creatively, work collaboratively on tasks, assess improvement, celebrate achievement.
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Reliability

Pilot tested in middle school in California year of 1995-96. 8 teachers and 219 students.  Overall reliability of 0.97 on forms B & C. 
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Sources/Bibliography

Gibbs, J.  Tribes, A New Way of Learning and Being Together.  Sausalito, CA: CenterSource Systems, 1995.

Gibbs, J.  Internalizing Character Education Values by Living and Learning Within a Caring School Community.  Sausalito, CA:  CenterSource Systems, 1998.
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Cost/Copyright/Availability

Tribes Assessment Questionnaire. 1996.  CenterSource Systems, CenterSource Systems, LLC
7975 Cameron Drive, Bldg 500, Windsor, CA 95492-8567. 
Phone: 707-838-1061 Fax: 707-838-1062 www.tribes.com

Tribes TLC Assessment Kit: Reflecting on the Tribes TLC Process $75.00

Surveys can be used in identifying areas of concern.  Can also help identify strengths and challenges in the use of Tribes in schools. 
 

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Compiled by Sarra B. Baraily & Melissa Quon Huber, Michigan State University, (517) 335-7732.
These materials were developed under a grant awarded by the Michigan Department of Education as part of the Michigan Model Partnerships in Character Education.

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